AC/DC Fans Tell Band: Change The Set List!

AC/DC fans are fed up with seeing the band on their current Black Ice world tour because the set list hasn't changed at all.
Every night, it's the same songs in the same order. Now, some fans have issued a direct plea to the band via the fan website acdcfans.net. Here's the message in full:
Dear Malcolm, Angus, Cliff, Phil and Brian
We represent an extremely vocal group of your most loyal fans. Just a handful of us have collectively attended more than 157 of your concerts (and counting) since 1978 and estimate we've contributed more than $84,000 (and counting) to the AC/DC juggernaut. We are just the tip of the iceberg.
Now while those numbers may seem insignificant given your touring history and estimated wealth, for us the numbers represent a passionate investment of time and hard earned money in your music. We are AC/DC fans for life, and we wouldn't change that for the world.
However, there is something we'd like AC/DC to consider changing
The set list.On the current Black Ice World Tour, during which some of us having travelled across Europe, the United States and flown between the two continents (with flights already booked to Australia to catch the Australian leg), we have listened to you play the same great songs each and every night. We absolutely appreciate every song you play, but we can't help but wonder if the band is getting a little bored of playing the same songs night after night.Are you aware there are thousands of fans just like us who have spent months discussing the Black Ice World Tour set list, every one of them hoping that the band will play something other than songs geared towards casual fans? The sort of fans that put money in your pockets, but who don't have the same level of passion for your music as us. They may cheer at the concerts, they may go home happy but they only came to hear Thunderstruck. They don't eat, sleep and shit AC/DC like we do.As the greatest band on Earth, we think it is a travesty that you are not playing songs that are dear to yourselves and your long term loyal fans the songs from albums that critics wrote off, but which we both know are some of the finest from your back catalogue.So, we'd like you to consider changing the set list. We won't be rude and say play this' or don't play that' we'll leave it to you to decide surprise us! Please give us, and the many thousands like us, some hard hittin', heavy rockin' tracks that we, the true long term fans of AC/DC, know and love.Thank you for your time and your music.
Yours respectfully in rock
acdcfans.net
Just so you know, this has been the set list so far on the tour:
01. Rock N' Roll Train
02. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
03. Back In Black
04. Big Jack
05. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
06. Thunderstruck
07. Black Ice
08. The Jack
09. Hells Bells
10. Shoot to Thrill
11. War Machine
12. Anything Goes
13. You Shook Me All Night Long
14. TNT
15. Whole Lotta Rosie
16. Let There Be Rock
17. Highway To Hell
18. For Those About To Rock
Thanks for the report to Classicrockmagazine.com.

all my favourites of theirs are less popular ones that won't get played Can I sit next to you Girl, Dog Eat Dog, Are You Ready, Rock n roll damnation.
I guess they've got to play the songs off the new album but i'd rather they took some out as well

i understand them wanting to play different songs, but some people like my self are 17, have never had the chance to see ac/dc and cant afford to travel around the world because like i said, im 17. Im not a casual fan, i have managed to buy their entire catalog, but in my opinion and im assuming most people's opinions, these are the favorites and it dosen't seem fair to change the setlist just because some die hard fans that have money to spare are sick of it

I find when i see any Bon era stuff being done by Brian it isn't anywhere near as good.
They should stop being AC/DC nerds and accept the show for what it is. Like someone above said they are pretty late into their career and it's more of a greatest hits tour, which is what at least 80-90% of the audience want.
For the prices they were selling the tickets at i wouldn't want to hear some B-sides, most the Brian Johnson back catalogue is 'samey', the album Ballbuster for example was total shite. If i saw them with that set list i would be more than happy

This is how I feel about every band. The hit's are never a band's best songs, just their most catchy/mainstream. It would be okay if AC/DC declared it a "Greatest Hits" tour(Like Iron Maiden recently did), but they should switch it up a bit.
I'm not an AC/DC fan(Although I did see them in concert during the summer), but I would love to see them play "Touch Too Much".

To be fair I've seen them twice in the past year (once in Charlotte and just a few weeks ago in Greensboro) and the set list was slightly different. They took out "Anything Goes" completely and they added in "Dog Eat Dog" and "Shot Down in Flames." Not a significant change but I definitely preferred having those two songs in there this time.

if you want differnt shows and differnt setlists every show you see you should try following a differnt band then. examples including..... phish, widespread panic, allman brothers, moe. im sorry but jam bands are where the creative setlists are at.

phishman808 wrote:
if you want differnt shows and differnt setlists every show you see you should try following a differnt band then. examples including..... phish, widespread panic, allman brothers, moe. im sorry but jam bands are where the creative setlists are at.

Judging by your screen-name, you have an epic bias.
I saw them last January, the only songs I wanted to see they didn't play were Moneytalks and Night of The Long Knives.
You're not going to hear every song you want to, no matter how bad you want to.

Eh, personally, I wouldn't mind the set list actually SHRINKING by about five songs.
Not sure why this is, but they are the only band I can think of that have NEVER CHANGED in any way, shape or form from the very beginning. Outside of a new lead singer, the band all looks and plays the same, the set looks the same, for the most part, and the songs, evidently are still the same, so I don't get the massive popularity of this band.
I'm not saying that I don't enjoy a good AC/DC tune once in a while, but when the lead guitarist has never changed his appearance - school boy outfit, red SG and the constant, never-ending goosestepping/spastic thrashing, strip-tease, guitar solo - all of it. It's EXACTLY the same in 2009 as it was in '79 and to me, nothing is more boring. I'll save my money and just listen to their myriad catalog, with a heavier emphasis on the Bon Scott era, for obvious reasons, and be happy.
If there was ever a band that needed to call it quits and close it down while still, relatively speaking, on top, AC/DC is that band.
I'm just sayin'...

I totally agree with the letter. I would have wanted to hear some High Voltage, Shot Down in Flames (which they added since then I believe), Moneytalks, Stiff Upper Lip, anything else off Back In Black or Highway to Hell, Heatseaker, Who Made Who, Fire your Guns, or some song off Fly on the Wall, Flick of the Switch or Blow Up Your Video album.
That's one thing I appreciated from Metallica, you don't know what to expect in the set list. The other night, I would have wanted to hear For Whom The Bell Tolls, and that was my only complaint. The rest I was pretty happy with.

i may have a epic bias but do you not see this as being true. name a band other than the bands i named that comes out every night and shakes things up and plays a differnt setlist everynight. most bands are not that capable of doing so. i mean dont get me wrong i love acdc i would love to see a show but thats it a show then after that it would be stale and boring. unlike phish i have seen over 20 times and yet not boring havent heard a show that is similar at all. same with allman been to 10 allman shows they play there hits mixed in with whatever they feel like playing. a truley great band can do this to where they dont need to practice and can play any song anywhere.

phishman808 wrote:
i may have a epic bias but do you not see this as being true. name a band other than the bands i named that comes out every night and shakes things up and plays a differnt setlist everynight. most bands are not that capable of doing so. i mean dont get me wrong i love acdc i would love to see a show but thats it a show then after that it would be stale and boring. unlike phish i have seen over 20 times and yet not boring havent heard a show that is similar at all. same with allman been to 10 allman shows they play there hits mixed in with whatever they feel like playing. a truley great band can do this to where they dont need to practice and can play any song anywhere.

The sort of thing Metallica has been attempting in recent months.
They have been playing heaps of their old stuff, stuff that hasn't been played live in years, and they're always mixing it around, a few covers thrown in too.
I would be MUCH more inclined to see AC/DC if there was a bit of variation between sets.

its more interesting if you go see more than one show ya know. i would not go see these bands if their shows consisted of basically the same songs everytime. i mean they have live staples that are played almost ever 2 shows but other than that its a surprise everytime you go. i actually heard phish play highway to hell at bonnaroo music festival that was pretty ****in awesome i would have to say.

im not a fan of metallica, actually I dislike it, but ACDC shoul do like `em. there are at least 3 different songs each concert. Please ACDC, play Riff Raff and hard as a rock, please. FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK, I SALUTE YOU!!!!!

As a fan of ACDC and not just a casual listener, i despise albums like "back in black" because they've become so hardwired in our media outlets, every single song on that album is a radio staple, along with other songs like "thunderstruck"
What made me a bigger acdc fan than i once was was hearing deep album cuts like "riff raff" or "down payment blues." These songs showcased more of ACDCs style than their glossy radio monsters like "shook me all night long" a song i am sick of hearing, whether it was live or not.
Show the younger generations what made you become a radio phenomenon. Playing lesser known songs in smaller venues might be a good start, plus seeing you guys in a littler place would send huge wave reverberating throughout the music world!

I don't think most people realize that with such an immense show, it makes things hard to change the set up. That's a lot of work on the tech crew, who have everything set up for the regular set. It's no longer just a concert, it's a SHOW, that is planned out.

ALL THE SONGS SOUND THE SAME ANYWAY. it makes no difference. they all have the same chords. and why would anyone see them twice. they got over $100 million last year, isn't that enough? retire already and let other bands have a go at making some money. hats off to the buskers.

The only thing they changed for the seconc time i saw them (1st time London o2 Arena, 2nd time Wembley Stadium) was they added in *DOG EAT DOG*, i was really suprised! I was hoping they'd change to setlist the second time i saw them. But yeah, i had an AMAZING time i was litteraly crying tears of joy both times, and i high fived Brian Johnson both times i saw them!!
I can understand what these people are saying but most people don't have the money to travel to America and back then to Austrailia and the ticket, food etc prices on top of that. Its not realistic!

Stop complaining. You have too much money to spare and other real fans that cant afford to fly around all the time to see shows have never seen any of it. I'm a real fan but I don't have enough money to see EVERY SINGLE SHOW. If you don't like what they play, why don't you give your stupid ticket to someone who appreciates it.

Jhnny wrote:
Quicksand15 wrote:
It's funny to see AC/DC fans complaining about repetitiveness =D
Just the thing I was looking for. Ok, now I'm done, thanks and bye.

Lmao. Wahey somebody said it!! I didn't wanna be the one lol
Although the setlist is very monotonous, if they're so bored hearing those songs over and over why are they wasting sooo much money on a gig they're not 100% happy to go to? Makes no sense if you ask me.

I saw them live in August and while the show was great, I can absolutely understand where these fans are coming from. I'm not a die-hard fan, but I found myself wishing they'd play some lesser known songs as well. This is what most bands do, so there isn't much point in complaining. Mixing up the set list a bit, however, is always favorable.

There's a balance. Personally I would like to see "Money Made " & "Guns For Hire" , but where would good old "ACCADACCA" be without ol' highway to hell, and the likes. There needs to be a balance between the B sides and the classics.

out of that set list, there are 13 classic songs that really must be played at any ac/dc concert, no compromise. the new stuff is awesome and must be played as well, and this leaves the boys with little choice in the matter.

Anyone else kinda annoyed at the so called fan collective? I love how they think they're better than everyone else and deserve the change just because they're obsessed. I'm obsessed with BTBAM, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna send the band some arrogant letter about how they should play Aspirations or Fire For A Dry Mouth more. Just deal with it. The band has been touring for how many years now? I'm pretty sure they know what the MAJORITY of the crowd wants to hear, and I'm fairly certain that their job is to ENTERTAIN. Just because 10% of the crowd will be all sullen if they don't hear their favourite song live, doesn't mean the band has any obligation to change. I dislike ACDC's music, purely because it's not for me. It's not my thing. But they've paid their dues and should be allowed to play whatever the hell they want on stage.

I can understand their view they do play a lot of the old stuff. But they should be allowed to play some different things on stage, but thats entirely up to them. Usually bands change the set-list it seems like AC/DC just doesnt want to lol.

I went to see AC?DC in April and loved it, but I did think they played it very safe with regards to the setlist. Yes it was good and yes they played everything that made the majority of the crowd enjoy the night, but there was nothing they hadn't played for years.
I didn't feel hard done by, but seeing a few less mainstream numbers would ave been great. All it is at the moment is Donington Park 1991 but with the newer songs in place of heatseeker, jailbreak and money talks. Spice it up a bit guys!

thirteenburn wrote:
Eh, personally, I wouldn't mind the set list actually SHRINKING by about five songs.
Not sure why this is, but they are the only band I can think of that have NEVER CHANGED in any way, shape or form from the very beginning. Outside of a new lead singer, the band all looks and plays the same, the set looks the same, for the most part, and the songs, evidently are still the same, so I don't get the massive popularity of this band.
I'm not saying that I don't enjoy a good AC/DC tune once in a while, but when the lead guitarist has never changed his appearance - school boy outfit, red SG and the constant, never-ending goosestepping/spastic thrashing, strip-tease, guitar solo - all of it. It's EXACTLY the same in 2009 as it was in '79 and to me, nothing is more boring. I'll save my money and just listen to their myriad catalog, with a heavier emphasis on the Bon Scott era, for obvious reasons, and be happy.
If there was ever a band that needed to call it quits and close it down while still, relatively speaking, on top, AC/DC is that band.
I'm just sayin'...

Magero wrote:
Anyone else kinda annoyed at the so called fan collective? I love how they think they're better than everyone else and deserve the change just because they're obsessed. I'm obsessed with BTBAM, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna send the band some arrogant letter about how they should play Aspirations or Fire For A Dry Mouth more. Just deal with it. The band has been touring for how many years now? I'm pretty sure they know what the MAJORITY of the crowd wants to hear, and I'm fairly certain that their job is to ENTERTAIN. Just because 10% of the crowd will be all sullen if they don't hear their favourite song live, doesn't mean the band has any obligation to change. I dislike ACDC's music, purely because it's not for me. It's not my thing. But they've paid their dues and should be allowed to play whatever the hell they want on stage.

also i find funny that them AC/DC fans talk about repetitiveness.
just my thoughts SHALOM PIPL

i think everyone should stop complaining, were lucky the'ye still rocking for us after thirty + years, iv got my ticket and ac/dc are my heroes, how cares if angus young has the same guitar and the same outfit, its like his signiture, so i think everyone should just chill and enjoy theyre rock

While AC/DC songs sound similar I would not say they all sound the same. Does "the jack" sound like "thunderstruck"....nope. Does "the razors edge" sound like "down payment blues. So what that they use"the same chords" in every song. Im wondering what chords you would like them to use??? Are they the only band thats songs sound alike. Off the top of my head I can think of probably 20 bands that if you go through their catalog you will find quite a few "similar" songs. Its ac/dc, if you want to listen to music that has nontraditional chord changes and deep meaningful lyrics, go listen to that and stop bitching. Its rock and roll for gods sake not Pat Boone or Michael Hedges. Based on record sales, I think alot of people are not musicians and don't care about the fact that the songs are somewhat similar.